Casino game machines, and in particular slot machines, in a casino or elsewhere, are often used by patrons for extended periods of time. To ensure the comfort of the patrons, casinos and game halls provide their customers with a chair or stool. The prior art has focused on connecting the game stools to the game machines in order to prevent game stools from being dislocated and thereby detracting from the aesthetic appearance of the symmetric gaming machines within the casino, and also from interfering with the flow of traffic around the gaming machines.
Examples of prior art detachable game stool assemblies are disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,112 which was granted on May 19, 1993 and is entitled "DETACHABLE GAME STOOL ASSEMBLY", applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,738 which issued on Jan. 28, 1992 and is entitled "DETACHABLE GAME STOOL ASSEMBLY", and applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,191 which was issued on Aug. 3, 1993 and is entitled "DETACHABLE GAME STOOL ASSEMBLY". U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,112 discloses an assembly for detachably supporting a game stool relative to a casino slot machine and generally comprising an elongated planar base member having an upturned portion at one end, a chair configuration extending from the base member opposite the upturned portion, and an extruded rigid support member fixed to the base of the slot machine. The chair configuration includes a vertical post rigidly connected to the base member and a chair seat fixed to the upper portion of the post. The extruded rigid support member includes an upstanding base portion mounting to the slot machine, a cantilevered portion, and an angularly inclined portion which together define an engaging channel for receiving the upturned portion of the base member thereby prohibiting longitudinal movement of the base member relative to the slot machine. The support member secured to the slot machine further includes a pair of spaced apart rigid end stop members which extend downwardly from the opposed ends of the cantilevered portion of the support member within the engaging channel for prohibiting lateral movement of the upturned portion of the base member relative to the gaming machine.
When the base member disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,112 is engaged with the extruded rigid support secured to the slot machine, the location of the seat is fixed at a certain distance relative to the slot machine. When required, the assembly may be detached from the slot machine in order for casino employees to empty out the cash box located within the lower front surface of the game machine.
Other prior art devices for attaching a game stool to a game machine also include seat portions which are fixed at a certain distance relative to the slot machine. The prior art assemblies are generally connected to the slot machine by a plurality of bolts or other connecting means which fasten the base member to the base of the casino slot machine. Therefore in order to access the cash box located within the base of the gaming machine, a casino employee must position himself in a crouched condition, between the game machine and the upstanding seat configuration so as to remove the coinage from the cash box.
Despite the many advantages of the aforementioned prior art detachable game stool assemblies, one of the shortcomings of the prior art assemblies is that the seat is always located at a predetermined fixed distance from the front of the slot machine. Usually, this predetermined distance is chosen to reflect the size of the "average" casino patron. As can readily be appreciated, because of the different physical characteristics of the men and women who play slot machines, this fixed distance is often uncomfortable to many players. Stated differently, because of the limitations of the prior art seating devices, usually a patron's height, physical stature or other physical characteristics make it difficult and uncomfortable for the patron to easily operate the slot machine over a long period of time. The patron may not be able to comfortably reach the coinage slot or the button or lever arm of the slot machine in order to comfortably activate it over a long period of time. Accordingly, it has been found that some patrons opt to stand rather than sit in order to more easily operate the slot machine, thereby defeating the main purpose of attaching the game stool to the slot machine. Further still, it has been found that the patrons who are uncomfortable when sitting on a fixed game stool seat will not play for a long period of time, thereby resulting in the casino potentially losing income.
To accommodate both the needs of the patrons and the casino hall operators the subject invention provides a detachable and adjustable game stool assembly including a seat portion that may be adjusted in a forward and backward direction so as to be, respectively, moved closer to or further away from the slot machine in order to comfortably accommodate patrons of various physical characteristics.
A further shortcoming of the prior art is that the seat is always located at a predetermined fixed height. Usually, this predetermined height is chosen to reflect the height of the "average" casino patron. As can be readily appreciated, because of the different heights of the men and women who play slot machines, this fixed height is often uncomfortable to many players. Stated differently, because of the limitations of the prior art seating devices, a patron's height makes it difficult and uncomfortable for the patron to operate the slot machine over a long period of time. The patron may not be able to comfortably reach the coinage slot or the button or lever arm of the slot machine in order to comfortably activate it over a long period of time. In addition, the patron may not be able to fully extend his or her legs and thus experiences physical discomfort over a long period of time. Accordingly, it has been found that some patrons opt to stand rather than to sit in order to more easily and comfortably operate the slot machine, thereby defeating the main purpose of attaching the game stool to the slot machine.
To accommodate patrons of various heights a second embodiment of the subject invention provides a detachable and adjustable game stool assembly including a seat portion that may be adjusted in an upward and downward direction so as to be, respectively, moved closer to or farther away from the base member in order to comfortably accommodate patrons of various heights.
An additional shortcoming of the prior art is the lack of truly distinguishing characteristics between casino seats. In particular, there is typically no difference between a seat attached to a low wager slot machine and the seat attached to a high wager slot machine. Accordingly, it has been found that a patron is less likely to gamble at a high wager machine when his or her neighbor is enjoying the same comfort at a low wager machine. Further still, patrons who don't feel there is any immediate difference between the high wager and low wager slot machines are more likely to play the low wager slot machines, thereby resulting in the casino potentially losing income.
Accordingly, to accommodate patrons who wish to play high wager gaming machines in a more luxurious comfort a third embodiment of the subject invention provides a detachable and adjustable game stool assembly including a plush, large seat portion that can through readily accessible switches be actuated for adjustment in a vertically upward or downward direction as well as a horizontally forward and backward direction.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is the haphazard positions that gaming stools with swivel mechanisms are left in. In particular, gaming stools with swivel mechanisms for swiveling of the seat around a vertical axis for the patrons comfort are often left by the patron with the seat not facing the attached gaming machine. As can readily be appreciated, because of the patrons rush to move from game to game, they generally do not return the swivel seat to its proper position. As a result, the misaligned gaming stool seats as a whole create a chaotic appearance which lessens the aesthetically pleasing environment of the casino. Accordingly, it has been found that some patrons opt to go to other casinos which don't have swivel seats for the comfort of the patrons but do have an overall aesthetically pleasing appearance, thereby defeating the main purpose of attaching a swivel mechanism to the seat and resulting in the casino potentially losing income.
To alleviate the effects of misaligned swivel gaming stool seats all three of the embodiments of the subject invention many include a self-centering swivel mechanism which allows the seat to be swiveled about a vertical axis and automatically centers the seat, after a patron departs, causing the seat to face its respective gaming machine.
It is thus an object of the subject invention to provide a game stool assembly having a seat portion which is manually adjustable towards and away from the slot machine for accommodating patrons of different physical characteristics.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a safe and easy-to-operate adjustable game stool assembly wherein the seat may be readily moved away from or towards the slot machine for the convenience of the individual patron.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide an adjustable game stool assembly including a seat which is both moveable towards and away from the slot machine and swivelled about a vertical axis for maximum comfort of the patron.
It is an object of the second embodiment of the subject invention to provide a game stool assembly having a seat portion which is manually adjustable vertically up and down for accommodating patrons of different heights.
It is a further object of the second embodiment of the subject invention to provide a game stool assembly having a seat which is manually adjustable towards and away from the slot machine for accommodating patrons of different physical characteristics.
It is another object of the second embodiment of the subject invention to provide an adjustable game stool assembly including a seat which is movable both vertically up and down, horizontally movable toward and away from the slot machine as well as swivelled about a vertical axis for maximum comfort of the patron.
It is an object of the third embodiment of the subject invention to provide a game stool assembly including readily accessible switches for actuating adjustment of the seat towards and away from the slot machine for accommodating patrons of different physical characteristics who wish to play at a high wager gaming machine.
It is a further object of the third embodiment of the subject invention to provide a game stool assembly including readily accessible switches for actuating adjustment of the seat vertically up and down for accommodating patrons of different heights who wish to play at a high wager gaming machine.
It is another object of the third embodiment of the subject invention to provide a game stool assembly including readily accessible switches for actuating adjustment of the seat both horizontally towards and away from the slot machine and vertically up and down as well allowing the seat to be swivelled about a vertical axis for maximum comfort of the patron.
It is an object of all of the embodiments of the subject invention to provide an adjustable game stool assembly including a swivel mechanism which both allows the seat to be swivelled about a vertical axis and is self-centering so it automatically faces the gaming machine after the patron has left the game stool assembly.